Summary: Isabella Swan, rescued from her abusive parents, goes to a foster family. Will she finally be able to embrace the light, or will her darkness return. Edward/Bella. Rated M for mature subjects and future lemons. AH, AU, OOC.
Disclaimer: Twilight isn't mine. Won't be, never will be, can't be.
Warning: Swearing. Story is AH, AU, and OOC.
Embracing the Light
Chapter 1 - Unfamiliar Territory
I woke up in a hospital bed. Had Charlie brought me here? I didn't know. I wasn't sure. I only knew my side ached and my head felt like it had been split open. I needed aspirin. Although I doubt the doctors will give me that.
A dark haired man in a white lab coat walked into the room. He smiled at me. "Glad to see you're awake, Ms. Swan. My name is Dr. Murry. Do you remember anything that has happened in the last few hours?"
I shook my head. I wondered where Charlie was. Usually he would stay here with me, to make sure I didn't talk to anyone about what happened. Or maybe Renee had brought me. She wasn't as careful as Charlie was.
"Well, you've had quite a long list of injuries." He took a look at the clipboard in his hands. "You've broken both arms on separate occasions, sprained your right wrist and left ankle at the same time, hurt your back badly, and have been treated for burn marks four times in the past two years."
I didn't have any words. How long had they been documenting my injuries? Charlie was gonna be pissed. I was gonna get beat so bad, I wouldn't be able to get up in the morning.
I tried to divert his attention from the multitude of wounds I had gained. "If you have a documented list of injuries, you should also have a list of explanations as to why the injuries occurred. I hurt my back from carrying heavy boxes up a flight of stairs. Breaking my arms was from climbing trees. And the sprains were from simply not watching where I was going."
Dr. Murry raised an eyebrow at me. I had my excuses rehearsed. Charlie had drilled them into me everytime I was in the hospital. He was careful not to take his punishments too far, but sometimes he got carried away.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Murry. I don't understand why I'm here. Was I injured in any way?" Idiot. Of course you were injured! Why else would you be here. Dr. Murry nodded. I looked at the tubes and heart machine. Whatever had happened, it was bad.
"Well, Ms. Swan, you had a serious bump on your head, not to mention several bruises on your arms and legs. You have two broken ribs, and-"
"Excuse me, but where's my father. Or maybe, my mother?" I interrupted. Dr. Murry gave me a look before continuing. "We found you unconscious and losing blood. Your mother and father are in custody at the moment."
In custody? What? A sharp tapping directed our attention to the window. Dr. Murry nodded at someone and turned back to me. "Some people are going to ask you some questions regarding your injuries. If they overwhelm you at all, or you need them gone, just press this red button."
He pointed to a big, glowing red button on the side of my bed. "It's considered a panic button. It goes off automatically if the patients' medical state takes a turn for the worst."
I nodded. He opened the door and left. A woman stepped into the room. She had light blond hair in a bun and blood red lipstick. Her heels clacked on the tile floor as she walked over to me. I suddenly felt under-dressed. She wore a tight black suit. I had on a flimsy paper gown.
The woman sat down in a chair not far from my bed. "Good evening, Ms. Swan. I am Jane Volturi, from Social Services. We have some questions for you." The way she spoke indicated I didn't have a choice. I nodded.
She pulled a manila folder into her lap that I hadn't even noticed her walk in with. She opened the folder and handed me a paper. "Do you recognize the man in this photo, Ms. Swan?"
I nodded once again. It was Charlie. His bushy mustache completely covered his upper lip. His chocolate brown eyes, my eyes, were light and happy. No one would ever guess the darkness behind them. His dark brown hair was neatly kept. It looked like he was going for a casual look, but it seemed too concentrated.
"Ms. Swan, as procedure, I need you to tell me your relationship regarding this man."
"He's my father." I said quietly. She nodded and reached for the photo, which I gladly handed back. She gave me another one, different this time.
"And do you recognize this woman?" she asked. I repeated my silent nod. Renee. Her short brown hair framed her face; full, dark pink lips accompanied her clear blue eyes. She had her rare nice days and then the more common mean ones. "My mother." I spoke softly.
Jane nodded and took the photo from me, replacing it with another. The person in this photo looked little over 19. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. His russet smooth skin complimented his pearly whites nicely. I gulped. "Jacob Black. A friend of my father's."
She handed me another photo, this one making me gag a little.
It was me. I was naked, spread out on the dining room table with a red ball gag in my mouth. Standing to the right of me were Charlie and Jacob. They were staring over me. Charlie was gesturing to me. Jacob was transfixed on me, staring hungrily at my body. My eyes, screaming pure terror, were looking at the camera.
I remembered that day. Renee had taken the picture and given it to Jacob for his 20th birthday. It was sick and wrong, but I'd heard him thank her happily. There was no excuse for this one.
I handed the photo back and fidgeted. She replaced it in her folder. "Thank you, Ms. Swan. I have a couple questions. Firstly, what is an approximate guess of how often you are in the hospital?"
I shoved my nerves to a little corner in my mind. "Several times a year."
"Yes, and why are you in the hospital so often, Ms. Swan?"
I gulped."My mother and father are abusive." She seemed point-blank interested now and pulled out a notepad and pen. "Can you tell me what really happened during these recorded injuries, Ms. Swan." I nodded.
"I hurt my back when my father hit me with a metal pan. I broke my arm the first time when he was upset I didn't cook dinner properly. The second time my mother asked him to break it because I talked back to her."
She hummed as she wrote furiously. "And the sprains and burns?"
"The wrist sprain was from Renee twisting my arm. I sprained my ankle when I tripped trying to run away. The burns are from pots of boiling water being thrown on me."
"And your life at home?"
I took a deep breath. "After school, I clean the house. My mother doesn't work and stays home all day. She usually makes sure I've cleaned everything. After that, I do homework. Dinner has to be made and ready before my father gets home. If it's not, I get pu- bad things happen."
She stared at me. "What kind of bad things."
I was babbling like an idiot. "I get hit. Or kicked. If it's really bad, my mother will throw things at me. Breakable things. Sometimes my father locks me in the basement all night. On the weekends, he throws me in this room. With no food or water." I was feeling tired now. My eyelids drooped a little as I fought to keep them open.
She wrote down a couple more things before getting up, notepad and folder tucked under her arm. "Thank you, Ms. Swan. We'll need you to answer more questions, but that can come later. In the meantime, Social Services will prepare you to go with a foster family. Until then, please rest."
She walked out without another word and I sat there wondering. A nurse came in to change my pillow and check all the equipment, but I didn't pay too much attention to her other than to say thank you on her way out.
Dinner was mush and glop and hard bread. It was supposed to be mashed potatoes and gravy with rolls, but I think it was closer to some kind of mutated food. Lucky me, dessert was cherry jello. Yum yum.
I was released from the hospital two days later. A man with slicked back blond hair claimed he was from Social Services. He was assigned to take me back to an orphanage, where there were several scheduled families to interview me.
He drove me in a big black SUV. The place looked like a fancy southern house. It was white, with tons of windows. I saw some kids peeking out from them when the truck pulled up.
When I got inside, with some difficulty because of my aching sides, a woman with dark brown hair in a ponytail greeted me. She had on casual clothing, a white t-shirt and denim jeans. Her red sneakers squeaked as she walked. "Hello. Isabella Swan?"
I nodded. She smiled. "I'm Gianna. And this is Landon Hills Orphanage. Follow me, please."
I struggled to keep up with her, but I think she knew that, considering she slowed down some. "We have several interviews for you lined up. First, the Cullens."
She showed me to a room with a table and two chairs on each side. I took a seat in one of them. Walking in behind us was a woman.
To say she was beautiful was an understatement. She had caramel colored hair that fell to her shoulders, and honey brown eyes full of happiness. She smiled at me, and I surprisingly smiled back. Gianna motioned for her to sit.
"Mrs. Cullen," Gianna spoke. "Why would you like to adopt Isabella?"
"Well, I'm unable to conceive myself. And although I already have several other children, I would love to have another daughter. Isabella is in the age range I wanted, and I think she would be a wonderful addition to our family."
Gianna nodded. "Well, Mrs. Cullen, if you'd like to consider adopting Isabella, I can show you the paperwork in my office." Mrs. Cullen nodded. As they got up to leave, she gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Good-bye, Isabella."
Gianna set up other interviews, but I barely paid attention to them. At the end of the day, she showed me to a bed easy to get to because of my mending ribs. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
By next week, Gianna arranged for me to go home with Mrs. Cullen. I didn't have any clothing with me, so personal belongings weren't an option. Renee and Charlie had never bought me any trinkets or jewelery.
She smiled at me. "Hello Isabella." I gave a polite smile back before climbing in the car. I stuffed myself in the seat and adjusted as she pulled out of the orphanage drive way and onto the highway.
"So, Isabella-"
"Bella," I interjected. "I like to be called Bella." She nodded. "I'm sorry, Bella. Mrs. Marcelo introduced me as Mrs. Cullen, but I prefer Esme. What do you like to do?"
"Mostly writing. And drawing. I love to draw." I listed off my favorite activities. She nodded. I fell asleep only to wake back up. I noticed we were pulling into the driveway of a beautiful, white, modern Victorian house.
The front yard was enormous. Woods surrounded the area in the back of the house. Several porch-like structures were connected to windows, making it easy to step out and survey the property. It was like a castle. I felt enormously out-of-place at this point.
Esme looked back and smiled at me before getting out. I was embarrassed to know that I would need clothes and supplies and other things I hadn't brought with me. But I didn't want to be a burden already.
New home. New rules. I didn't know how the adoption process worked. Was I given a new last name? Were they allowed to change my first name? I was worried. What if Esme and her husband were anything like Renee and Charlie? Was this just another place I would be punished?
Esme came around and opened the door for me. I was wary of this house and the people inside it. If there were any at all.
"Here we are," Esme spoke. "Home sweet home." I hopped down and slammed it shut. I heard the car honk loudly as she locked it, before the two of us strove up the gravel.
Esme walked alongside me towards the house, before moving in front of me to unlock the door.
The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. The walls were painted dark brown, and the furniture looked like it was expensive. It even had a fireplace.
"Girls! Boys! Come down here!" Esme called. I heard the sound of thundering feet on stairs. Five other kids stood in front of me.
"Why don't you guys introduce yourselves. I'll make you something to eat," Esme said, walking out of the room. They stood there, like I did, unsure of what to do.
"Hi." I looked towards one of the girls. She was a tiny little thing, with short black hair and big hazel eyes. She reminded me of a pixie. "I'm Alice," she said with a wide smile.
I nodded and smiled back. The only other girl in the group gave me a scowl. She had long blond hair, ending in the middle of her back, and crystal blue eyes. She was nothing less than a model. She stayed silent, not speaking. Alice huffed and rolled her eyes.
One of the boys in the group was blond too. He had the same crystal blue eyes, but his hair was shorter and more of a honey blond, whereas the girl had a pale yellow, like the color of straw.
"Hi," he said, extending a hand that I shook. "I'm Jasper. Jasper Cullen." He had a southern twang that made me think of the Civil War and General Lee. He gestured back to the blond girl. "And this is my sister, Rosalie."
I nodded to her and smiled politely. One of the boys reminded me of a bear. He had brown hair a few shades darker than my own, and a wide toothy grin. His white t-shirt, supporting the band Paramore, clung to him effectively, showing off his muscles. "I'm Emmett," he boomed proudly.
The last person took my breath away. He was a boy, with bronze hair that had flecks of copper in it; bright green eyes stared my way, memorizing me. "Hi," he said quietly, almost shyly. "I'm Edward."
"And your name?" I heard Alice's musical lit. Her voice snapped me out of the thoughts swirling around Edward. "I'm Bella," I answered. "Bella Swan." Everyone nodded as they welcomed me. I was a little out of my element, what with all the attention directed onto yours truly.
Emmett turned on the TV and flipped through channels until he got to the cartoons. Everyone seated themselves on either the sofa or the floor; I sat down awkwardly in a fluffy armchair. We remained like that for a while, in silence, attention glued to the escapades of Tom and Jerry and Scooby-Doo.
A few hours later, a man with golden blond hair walked through the door and introduced himself as Carlisle Cullen, a local doctor at Landon Hills Hospital. Esme made everyone tacos, and we ate at large mahogany table in a room I suspected was for dining.
"So, Bella," Esme said. "What else do you like to do, other than drawing and writing."
I shrugged. "I know some football. And I like being outside. Drawing and writing are only sometimes activities. I mostly just think about stuff. I'm a quiet person. But I really like reading."
Esme nodded. "Well, as soon as you feel up to it, we can go get you some drawing supplies. And some books never hurt anyone. We'll make it a shopping day."
"Oh, no, I couldn't-" I tried to protest. "Nonsense, dear. You're part of the family now. So, what kind of things do you like to read? I'm an Ellen Hopkins fan, myself."
I nodded, happy to be talking about something I knew. "I like her and Gail Giles. Shattering Glass is one of my favorite stories. It was sad, but there was an interesting moral to it. Identical was a little...too much for me."
Esme nodded her agreement. "I found Dead Girls Don't Write Letters to be fascinating. The way she ends her books were always so sad however."
"Well, I think it's because her books are supposed to represent real life, and real life doesn't always have a happy ending."
I could feel someone watching me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward staring at me. I met his eyes for a second before he looked away. "May I be excused?" he asked, avoiding my gaze for Esme's. "Of course, Edward." I could hear the concern in her voice.
He got up from the table and thundered up the stairs. Everyone alternated between exchanging glances and looking at me. I felt my face burn as the blood rushed to my cheeks.
"Alice? Perhaps you'd like to show Bella to her room?" Carlisle spoke. Alice nodded and stood up. I followed suit and walked behind her, up the first set of stairs and through the hall. She pushed open a door down the hallway and I stood there in awe.
Blue. That was my first thought. The walls were painted cobalt blue, and in the corner a drawing of a tiger added splashes of orange, white, and black. The bed covers resembled the sky with clouds in it, and a desk by the window made me think of the night sky. I even had my own bathroom!
There was another door on the other side of it, but I figured that was either to a closet or something along those lines.
"So, my room is down the hall, about two doors over. Rosalie is on the other side of you, so try not to bang on the walls or anything. She can get pretty pissed. Jasper is across from you, and Emmett is next to him. Mom and Dad sleep upstairs. And-"
"Hey Ali! You and Bella come play!" I heard Emmett's booming voice echo. Alice laughed and looked at me with big puppy-dog eyes. "Bella, come play with us. Please?" she pleaded. Wide hazel eyes plus that pout. I was powerless.
I sighed. "What are we playing." "Virtual paintball!" Alice squealed. I let her drag me back down the stairs.
The first thing I noticed when I reached the living room was the shiny vests. Emmett and Rosalie wore matching dark red. Jasper and Alice had on purple. Edward was wearing a emerald green that made his eyes stand out.
I reached for the only vest left, a blue one, and slid it on. Edward stared at me once again. I vaguely wondered if I had something on me. Some kind of sign that read, 'Go Ahead and Stare - It Won't Bother Me At All!'
"You ever played, Bella?" Emmett asked. I shook my head. Charlie and Renee had never allowed me to play any video-games. It was against the rules. The rules I had tried so hard to follow.
"Okay, so, here's how it works," Alice began to explain. "People wearing the same vest are on the same team. Except you and Edward. You guys have different colors because Edward bought a package deal, one green vest, one blue. Anyways, aim for anyone not wearing blue or green. Everyone has four lives, and unlimited ammo. Got it?"
I nodded. I understood everything. Didn't make me think I could really play, but hey, what are you gonna do.
I had fun. We played for three hours straight. Me and Edward worked well together. And all without talking. Sadly.
It was when I yawned that Esme and Carlisle announced we should all go to bed. Everyone except Emmett agreed, but Rosalie convinced him. I was the first one to walk up the stairs, and luckily found my room by myself.
I found a pair of cut-off shorts and an undershirt on my bed. I silently thanked Esme for remembering I didn't have any clothes. After changing into my new pajamas, I climbed under the covers.
I thanked God I found a new family, parents that truly loved me, and for removing me from certain death.
After one last look at the nighttime sky, I fell asleep.
Author's Note:
So hope you liked, and please review. Excerpts will be given to any who do. Have a good day and goodbye.
~DJ